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Spelltheif
Spellthieves use skill and arcane magic to drain the abilities of their opponents and turn their foes' own powers against them. Spellthieves love the challenges that adventure brings, and they relish finding unique and inventive ways to use their abilities. Because they have such a wide variety of abilities, spellthieves can adapt themselves to overcome nearly any challenge, but they have neither the overpowering arcane might of wizards nor the brute force of fighters. Spellthieves never cast two spells when one will do, and they excel at using misdirection and deception to overcome seemingly stronger opponents. Good spellthieves use their skills and magic to entertain themselves, protect those less gifted than themselves, and occasionally serve a cause or nation as a spy. Evil spellthieves use their versatile skills to trick and deceive, or plague large cities as daring cat burglars. Adventures Spellthieves adventure because they love a challenge. They see each puzzle, trap, or monster as a new way to test their skills. This does not mean that they are all overconfident. Some are, but many simply have a healthy dose of curiosity and a keen interest in proving their own mastery. Because they have such versatile abilities, they know they have a chance to overcome nearly any kind of challenge. When confronted with a powerful physical foe, a spellthief often can't help wanting to know whether his stealth and cunning could overcome the foe's brute force. When confronted with a clever trap, a spellthief can't help wondering whether his speed and skill could overcome the trapmaker's ingenuity and preparation. Like other characters, spellthieves are attracted to the wealth that adventuring offers. Living an open, flamboyant (and therefore expensive) lifestyle suits many, if not all, spellthieves, and adventuring offers ready rewards both in gold and fame. Characteristics Spellthieves use an intuitive form of arcane magic to enhance their versatile talents. They have a broad skill selection and are capable of developing several sets of skills. Many spellthieves emphasize stealth and social abilities, perfecting the ability to surprise and deceive their opponents. In combat, spellthieves use a combination of precise attacks and spells to steal abilities from their opponents. At lower levels, a spellthief concentrates on flanking foes and delivering sneak attacks. As a spellthief progresses in level, his ability to cast spells grows stronger, allowing him to magically augment his modest combat abilities. A spellthief's most potent ability allows him to temporarily steal spells, spell effects, and even energy resistances from his opponents. Alignment Most spellthieves are neutral. They view the world as a place full of challenges and interesting opportunities and rarely give much thought to morality. Even spellthieves with genuinely good intentions occasionally get caught up in the challenge of an adventure and fail to see (or decide to intentionally overlook) the moral implications of their actions. Evil spellthieves are callous and cruel, using their abilities to trick, blackmail, or destroy anyone who has something they want or stands in the way of their personal agenda. Religion Most spellthieves prefer to rely on their own wits and skill rather than pay homage to a higher power. Occasionally, when planning a particularly daring raid, a spellthief makes a one-time offering or prayer to a deity with power over the night or thievery. Others sometimes seek divine protection before attempting to rob or raid a temple, but even these observances are more a chance for a spellthief to even the odds than a true attempt at devotion. Some particularly evil spellthieves devote themselves to Vecna (the god of secrets), using their abilities to wrest information from their opponents and exploit them for blackmail or more serious crimes. Background Spellthieves come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Although few places are devoted to the formal training of spellthieves, the ones that exist (usually military academies that train a capable corps of espionage agents) produce especially capable and loyal spellthieves. These agents of the crown are the exception rather than the rule, however; most spellthieves acquire their training from one or more solitary mentors. These mentors are often spellthieves of varied backgrounds who wish to pass along their talents to a likely protégé. Others are rogues or sorcerers who only partially understand their disciple's unique mixture of skills, yet they provide enough guidance and encouragement for a young spellthief to develop his own skills. Spellthieves from these diverse backgrounds often pride themselves on their blend of skills and magic. They rarely take levels in other classes, viewing their mixture of abilities as something particularly suited to their talent and personality. Races Humans are more likely than members of other races to become spellthieves. Their flexible nature and varied interests make them well suited to the specialties of the spellthief. Elves also make excellent spellthieves, benefiting from their natural grace and affinity for arcane magic. Halflings and gnomes find the spellthief's combination of spellcasting abilities and skill selection a good match for their small size. Many gnomes, with their affinity for illusion magic, enjoy the versatility offered by the spellthief class, and they often use their combination of stealth and spellcasting to develop a formidable repertoire of practical jokes. Halflings, on the other hand, usually take advantage of the class's skill selection and stealth abilities, viewing their spells as a way to boost their ability to slip past dangerous traps and monsters. Neither dwarves nor half-orcs make particularly good spellthieves, since most members of those races prefer physical power over skill or subterfuge. Dwarves who do become spellthieves often emphasize their ability to find and disable traps to the exclusion of other skills. Other Classes Spellthieves work well with members of almost any other class. Their spells and class skills help them play a variety of roles in an adventuring group. Because they're not suited to act as front-line melee combatants, they enjoy working with fighters and barbarians more than other classes. Role Spellthieves can fill any number of diverse roles in an adventuring group, depending on the skills and abilities of the other members of the party. They can at times function as a group's expert on arcane magic. With the right skill selection, a spellthief can act as a group's primary scout and its master of stealth. Because his abilities overlap with those of arcane spellcasters and rogues, a spellthief might have a hard time finding a niche in a group that already includes one character of each kind. In such a case, a spellthief usually concentrates on using his spells to augment his class abilities and combat prowess and ends up pairing with the rogue in most endeavors. The two can scout almost anywhere with little chance of being detected, and their ability to flank an opponent and both deal sneak attack damage makes them a deadly duo in combat. Category:Classes